Public Policy & Law

MPP/JD

Students may pursue a concurrent degree in law and public policy, which requires four years. At the end of the program the student will have earned both an MPP and a JD degree. The program requires separate application and admission to the University of California School of Law at Berkeley (Boalt Hall) and the Goldman School of Public Policy. To obtain program materials for the School of Law please write: Admissions Office, School of Law, 5 Boalt Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-7200 or call (510) 642-2274. For further information contact the GSPP Admissions Office at (510) 642-7888 or email: gradadm@berkeley.edu.

Guidelines For Concurrent Degree Students in Law and Public Policy

Students may elect to spend the first year at Boalt Hall or at GSPP. In either event, students spend their remaining years in residence at both schools. Students applying for admission to Boalt Hall may also apply to GSPP during the first semester in residence at Boalt or vice versa. Here is a brief description of the procedures associated with the MPP/JD concurrent degree program.

The First Year and Second Years

First-year students in the concurrent program have the option in enrolling at either GSPP or Boalt Hall. If enrolled at GSPP, students take the first year core curriculum; if enrolled at Boalt, students take the same sequence of required law courses as other JD candidates. The third and fourth years consist of jointly approved mix of law and GSPP courses meeting the overall degree requirement of GSPP and Boalt Hall.

Special Law Student Option During the First Year at GSPP

With one exception, concurrent degree candidates who have spent their first year at Boalt will take the same sequence of courses in their first year at GSPP as other MPP candidates. Students who have already spent a year at Boalt may not be required to take the GSPP course in Law and Public Policy (PP 220). They may instead, in consultation with the Law and Public Policy instructor, either (1) enroll for the course, (2) perform independent research on an agreed topic, or (3) take another GSPP elective or another approved elective on the Berkeley campus.

The Third and Fourth Years

A student will complete his/her MPP program by the end of the third year or fourth year by successfully completing the Advanced Policy Analysis (PP 205, PP 299), a minimum of 12 units of policy-relevant law courses, and one additional public policy course. To complete the JD program, the student must satisfy the remaining 50 semester units required by the law degree (8 of which are satisfied by GSPP courses).

Career Opportunities

The majority of students graduating with an MPP/JD degree accept positions as attorneys or associates in private law firms. Some graduates assume legal positions in federal agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency or the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Others go on to secure higher positions in judiciary branches of local, state, and federal governments. A small percentage use both degrees to work in federal, state, and local agencies, as well as private and non-profit organizations.

Tuition Costs for the MPP/JD Program

For students accepted into the MPP/JD concurrent degree, the Professional Degree Supplemental Tuition (PDST) fee is assessed as follows for every semester: Since both degree programs have a PDST, the student is assessed the higher of the two PDSTs.